


Featherfall

by pinksundays



Series: Heartverse [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Character Death, F/M, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:46:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22211254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinksundays/pseuds/pinksundays
Summary: Afteryearsof living in peace under an alias, the past finally creeps up to the Hawkes. When a magister uncovers the intriguing secret running through the veins of Lea Hawke, the three flee the comfort of their home in Rialto. But it's not long before their whole world is torn asunder once again. Can Lea keep her family safe, or will she lose everyone she's ever loved?beta read by the incredibleCuriousThimble<3
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford, Fenris/Female Hawke, Hawke Child / Lavellan Child (sibling relationship)
Series: Heartverse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1598869
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue: The Death of A Hawke

**Author's Note:**

> trigger warnings: character death, anxiety, emotional stress

* * *

It’s haunting. To see everything in your life crumble before you, yet… to not be able to do anything. That was what happened to the Hawke child.

Everything occured in under five minutes. With a correctly timed spell, Lea had _poofed_ right into the heart of interrogation chambers, undiscovered. Unfortunately for the girl, there wasn’t much she could do before her ears caught the sound of heavy chains dragging against stone. Quickly, she slipped on the ring that Dorian gave her and the shimmer of the enchantment cloaked her presence the moment a mage of jet black hair emerged from around the corner. The woman seemed to glide into the room, her feet hidden by her robes. The robes she adorned were disturbingly unique—with black wisps around her as she moved. At fleeting moments, Lea could’ve sworn she saw one of the wisps lash out at something in the air like tendrils. Like there was a _living_ layer of dark essence that emanated from the robes.

A breath slipped out of her and the woman stopped, turning slowly to face her in her direction. A gloved hand shot up and the gold threads against the onyx fabric hummed, halting her servants, bodyguard, and the prisoner that straggled behind her. Lea’s blood turned cold as she covered her mouth and nose, holding her breath. Without warning, the mage’s eyes flicked to a colour so dark it was like staring right into the abyss. A moment passed before her expression relaxed, and she turned her attention back towards the small audience. Without a word, the three acolytes threw the prisoner on the ground in front of her, bloodied and weak.

‘Stand,’ Talona commanded, but the prisoner stayed where she was, crumpled on the ground. Annoyed, the mage clicked her tongue and with a sharp flick of her wrist in an upward motion, the prisoner was pulled up forcefully by an unseen power.

The magister smirked, lowering hand slightly. ‘Much better. Now, my patience wears thin, so this will be the last time that I ask this. Where. Is. _The child?_ ’

Struggling to breathe from the invisible rope around her neck and being weighed down by her shackles, Hawke still managed to croak out an answer. She stared at the power-thirsty mage with piercing blue eyes that usually inflicted fear in others, and answered without relenting.

‘You will **_never_** find her,’ she spat. Her throat burned with every word, still raw from the vial of poison she was forced to ingest just hours ago.

There was a crack in Talona’s porcelain expression. Her eye twitched slightly in annoyance, disappointed that even with that much torture done prior, Marian Hawke could not be broken. After a pregnant pause, Talona’s arm lashed out at an impossible speed—extending from her own torso like a wispy spider leg as she stood unmoved in her spot. The hand stopped just before Hawke’s neck and her claw-like fingers quivered and contorted angrily before relaxing, stroking the side of Hawke’s bruised cheek. Talona grinned again and her arm slowly retracted back to her. Giving the greying Champion one last look, she turned to walk away but the voice is booming in Hawke’s head.

_Na via lerno victoria. May your death be as fruitless as your life. You are not worth_ _y_ _to die by my hands._

‘Slave,’ this time her voice echoed through the chamber as she’s almost out of sight. ‘Crush her heart.’

Lea had only heard about her father’s unique ability. This time, she saw it first hand. She saw how Fenris approached her mother with catatonic ease, unblinking with cold eyes. She saw how her mother smiled, exchanging what was her last words to the man she loved. She saw the tears of her father roll down his cheeks as the markings on his body flared its signature lyrium blue.

She saw how Hawke stared right at her through her invisibility, just before Fenris thrust his hand into her chest and crushed her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Heartverse** is back! If you've read the first part of this series (aka my first DA longfic ever) [With My Heart, Whole](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12673356), _Featherfall_ is the sequel. In this, you will follow Lea's eyes as she goes through her journey to save her family. You will meet old and new characters and i'm super stoked to share her story with you <3
> 
> This will be updated monthly until ~~April~~ June and subsequent chapters will come bimonthly unless stated. Enjoy!


	2. Mistress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected warning sends the Hawkes fleeing their home. After spending a month on the run, Fenris' past finally catches up to him. Only this time, it's here for his daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My darling girl, Lea Hawke. Daughter to Marian and Fenris. I had her commissioned by a lovely and talented artist [Naevrah](https://twitter.com/naevrah/status/1163088619571240960?lang=en)! she captured my beautiful girl so so well ;o;

* * *

* * *

_Before, two months ago. _

☀ ☀ ☀

The cool autumn afternoons of Rialto passed slowly. It was one of the many things  Lea loved about the city—that, and the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs,  and leaves that rustle as the winds passed through the different orchards. The city itself  exuded _life_ —the vivacity of the morning markets were  invigorating and bustling with vendors in trade, and the evenings filled with entertainment like the tallest wine glass of the highest establishment, and bursting with  enthusiasm of fine arts like starburst. There was a jovialness in the people of Antiva that couldn’t be replicated. Despite its high courts, politics, and infamous mercenaries, the Antivans carried not the haughty puff of an Orlesian (and their gaudy fashion sense), nor the underdog roughness of the Fereldans. The country and its people had a balance of every other state in Thedas. Maybe that's what made them different, and  one could tell that  they were proud of it.

Lea blew on a tune on her ocarina, letting out a controlled, shrill sound before looking out at the long path back to the estate. It was a gift from Merrill made from the bone of their oldest Halla that had died a few months back. A horn blared from a distance—signalling the departure of a ship from port. Above her, a plump of ducks passed, retreating west so that they might reach Imperium before winter swept through Antiva. The young Hawke played another tune on her instrument and leaned back against the tree. _Maybe this is the_ _peace_ _the city deserves after being devoured by the Fourth Blight._

As the hints of twilight tinted the skies in blues and pinks and orange, Lea’s ears picked up the urgent sound of hooves. Soon, her father came into view on horseback—his ashen hair a dead giveaway. Tucking the instrument away, she stood gingerly on the branch she was resting on waved in his direction but felt the feeling of dread creep into her bones immediately.

Her father was decked in full armour, with his greatsword on his back.

☀ ☀ ☀

The girl cast a spell before she leapt off the tree and when it did not catch, she shifted her form in mid-air so that she could land without hurting herself.

‘Papa? What's wrong? Why do you—‘

Fenris  dismounted from his horse, his heart racing. Something caught in his throat at the sight of his daughter  on her favourite tree, and relief quelled his worries momentarily. ‘We need to leave, Lea. You are in danger,’ he said very carefully, holding her by the shoulders as if she would  crumble and join the Earth if he let go. No response came, and Lea blinked, taken aback by the sudden news.

‘Isabela arrived not minutes ago with a letter from a friend. A warning. T here is a Magister who has discovered our whereabouts—discovered your _biology_.’ His eyes watered even though he tried to keep a stern face.  It made him look much older than he already did.

Lea felt the lyrium in her blood pulse in rhythm with her accelerating heartbeat.  An uneasy warmth spread from her chest to her neck, and the veins in her hands started to show. The elf took her hands gently, rubbing his calloused thumbs across her knuckles to calm her emotions and soon, the pulsing subsided.

A grim silence fell, and Fenris let out a ragged breath. ‘This is my fault. I should never have thought that we'd be safe—‘

‘Don’t say that. It's not,’ she said through gritted teeth though she wanted to yell it out. Lea’s expression hardened, but her lips turned downward, quivering. ‘How is some stupid Magister trying to find me _your_ fault!‘ Now _she_ was crying. Lea hated seeing her father so helpless. It broke her heart to hear him blame himself for things he had no control over. Tugging her hands back towards her, Lea wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

Fenris  pushed  the hair out of her eyes, and  his tears finally fell.  Her face—now flushed with anger and distraught—ironically seemed so much like his wife.  The look he gave was as though he had failed his daughter. As though he had failed his family.

‘The Magister is of House Danarius.’

☀ ☀ ☀

They rode home in silence, fear fuelling the bubbling anger within Lea with every passing minute. Finally, the estate finally came into view, and Hawke was waiting anxiously outside for their return.

‘Andraste's blessed arse, you found her,’ she kissed Fenris quickly before pulling Lea into their home. ‘Isabela will meet us at the docks. Let's hope she managed to  acquire a ship.’

Entering their estate in this situation was overwhelming. Every step of the stairs seemed like her last,  in  every room lingered a memory, and every portrait that Lea walked by seemed to reach out to her with  the  ghostly echoes of their once-peaceful lives.  The servants gave the youngest Hawke  dismal smiles as they passed—each of them with bags of their own. Hawke had informed them of the bare minimum—that they were wrongly marked by _Antivan Crows_ and they were to be relocated and reassigned back to the Montilyets in Antiva City.

Hawke was not wearing her Mantle of the Champion, and there was a twinge of sadness in Lea’s chest. She loved seeing her mother in it, but wearing the mantle now would be foolish. For more than a decade, the people of Thedas thought that The Champion of Kirkwall had died a hero’s death while aiding the Inquisition. What used to instil hope in others would now be just a target on their backs.

‘Necessities only, alright sweetheart? I know you love those books of yours but unless they can stop an arrow through your chest, you best leave them behind.’ Her tone was blunt, cutting through the tension just like her daggers. There were a million things running though her mind but in that instant, Hawke turned to her daughter and felt her heart drop.

‘I’m sorry, love,’ Hawke started, kneeling down beside her by the bed. ‘Your father taught you how to wield a sword. I taught you how to throw daggers, and mix elixirs but this? This is not something we prepared for,’ Hawke admitted in defeat, tucking Lea’s curly locks behind her left ear.

‘But you did your best—both of you did. Please stop having that same look that Papa has. It ages you _both_ ,’ she chided and teased in-between a sniffle. Her mother hated being reminded of  her greying self. Aging was strange—every morning that she looked into the mirror,  it was as if Leandra was staring back at her. What was even stranger was watching her husband age because as far as she knew, elves never did. But Fenris was different. It seemed that the longer he spent with her—bonded to her—the mythical ‘eternal youth’ of the elves started to… fade. It was the same for Aryelle, too.

The footfalls of one of their servants were a sudden reminder that they hadn’t much time left, and Hawke turned back to Lea. ‘ I know how much Antiva means to you, and I’d hate for you to leave it.  But I know that feeling well. Kirkwall was my _heart_ , and I was devastated to leave. I'd already lost Lothering before that… ’ she broke off, staring out the window. Her former home erupted in a vision of smoke and flames—an image forever burned in her mind no matter how many years had passed.

‘Now you're losing your home, _again_ …’ Lea uttered, pity in her voice as she took her mother’s hand into her own.

Hawke smiled and shook her head, brushing invisible dust from Lea’s cheeks. She’d inherited her own freckles, and it was a little detail that she adored and was thankful for. ‘ _You_ are my Home. Your _father_ is my Home. So no, I don't believe I've pulled the short end of the stick again. But Lea Hawke, you grew up here. You were supposed to enter the tourney next year, work the summer in the forge like you always wanted, try out for a position as a trainer for the Crownsguard in Antiva City.’

Lea shrugged off the unfortunate reminder .  Her goals for when she turned seventeen seemed like a poignant minstrel’s tale now. Her parents were _Heroes_. Her aunt Linny was Captain of the Guard in Kirkwall. Aryelle was the _Leader_ of the Inquisition forces, and Cullen their Commander. Even Cassandra was Divine. Being surrounded by such people, Lea just wanted to live up to their glory.

‘All fleeting dreams, Mother. And dreams change with every sleep,’ she smiled sweetly.

‘I’m so sorry, sweetheart,’ Hawke recognised the hurt in Lea’s voice, but couldn’t say anything else. 

‘We'll get through this. We're Hawkes, right?’

She nodded at that, then rubbed her temples. ‘Blast, I still need to send word to your uncle Varric. And Aryelle, and Dorian.’

‘What about Anders?’ Lea chirped. It had been months since she saw her mentor.

Hawke patted her on the lap.  ‘I don't quite know where his current assignment has taken him. But I’ll ask Dorian to pass the news to him.’

Lea touched the chain around her neck. It had two rings attached to it—one silver and engraved on the inside, and the other gold, with a  strip of purple around  the band.

‘You had best put Dorian's gift to good use now,’ Hawke stood carefully and Lea helped her mother up. Hawke would never admit it, but Lea knew how much the woman’s knees ached these days. Hawke wasn’t getting any younger after all. ‘Lea, listen to me. If anything happens, use that ring and _save yourself._ Run, as far away as you can. Your father and I can buy you some time at the very least.’

The girl in question wanted to argue, but she knew better. Especially when her parents were so on edge like this. This was survival, something her parents had so much more experience with. Her mother wouldn’t have said it  so easily, and her father would’ve probably told her the same thing in time. 

_Okay,_ she said in her heart, but outside, she steeled her expression and merely nodded. She couldn’t say it out loud. Leaving home was one thing, but choosing to save herself over her parents? That was not a decision a child was supposed to make—and now, more than ever, she felt like a child instead of the young woman that she was. Helpless.

_She_ was supposed to be protecting _them_. Not the other way around.

☀ ☀ ☀

The winds were ironically pleasant the night they set off. Hawke made sure that their servants were given rooms at one of the more established inns at the higher end of Market Square. A carriage was to transport the six of them to the Montilyets in Antiva City at first light, and Hawke entrusted her sealed letters to Maraas, who would serve as their bodyguard on the short journey.

‘Kill anyone who speaks our name. You know the few who are allowed to,’ Hawke instructed when Lea was out of earshot. The Tal-Vashoth bowed his head to her and the Champion stood on her toes to give him a hug.

‘Goodbye, Maraas. You’ve been a loyal friend to my family, and we owe you our lives,’ she uttered tearfully into his shoulder. They’d come so far from the Qunari uprising so long ago.

Then, in the dead of night, the Hawkes left their beloved city of Rialto onto calm waters with nothing but the stars to guide them.

☀ ☀ ☀

They took to the seas, listening to nothing but winds and lapping waves over the next month. Thankfully, Isabela managed to procure a merchant ship with the loot she stole a few weeks ago. She’d had other plans for the loot, but family came first. They parted in Denerim—her in search of the dashing Antivan rogue, and the Hawkes, on the run as they have been.

Sometimes, they’d dock at the nearest port to resupply. On those days, Lea was thankful to spend time away from her parents. They’d been bickering a lot, but it was something that was unavoidable. They were all on edge. A few weeks ago, their ship passed Markham and Fenris had wanted disembark on foot towards Kirkwall. _It would take a week at most, Marian,_ he insisted, but Hawke was paranoid, and Fenris almost didn’t make it back to the ship on time. Had he not changed his mind at the last minute, they’d be separated by the vast Amaranthine Ocean.

That was when the fighting got worse.

Today the Hawkes and their small crew had gone as far as the _Sundered Sea_ —islands and mountains at the most south-western part of Thedas. It was a region near the border of Thedas, and The Continent, and Lea was sure that she’d be able to see the _Skellige Isles_ had it not been for the fog. Snow fell on these seas, and Lea wondered when it was last that she’d seen the once-endless blue above her. For the past week at least, they’d sailed through the excruciatingly cold _Frozen Seas_ under grey skies.

As the snow-capped _Gamordan Peaks_ came in view, their moods lifted slightly and the closer they got to shore, more of the island revealed itself to them from the fog. They couldn’t get too close yet, so the Captain decided that they would sail a fair distance from the island until they saw the small village of _Mont-de-Glace_. As the fog cleared, Lea fully understood why this was difficult terrain. Amongst the beautiful frost-covered pine trees, the area closest to what looked like an abandoned port was littered with capsized boats of all kinds—some of them sticking out of the waters like huge shards of icicles. There were also ice giants the size of trebuchets stalking the shores, snatching harpies and their ilk from the sky to feed on.

The far south of Thedas were the unexplored regions—and with good reason, too. With the islands being so close to the borders of The Continent, some of their… _creatures_ had begun to bleed into this side of Thedas. Creatures that could take to the seas as easily as they would the skies. There were one-eyed giants that swung enormous clubs. And even strange elemental monsters that guard unclaimed treasures. Thankfully, the Peaks were one of the tallest and largest in all of Thedas—blocking out even the coldest winds—and there was literally no way anything could get through unless they knew how to navigate through the mines. A lot of sailors also steered clear from these waters—their fear fuelled by sea shanties of krakens, mermaids the size of ships, and sirens that could lure even the most frigid of hearts before they devour the men piece by piece like a woman scorned. Ice bergs, and partially frozen seawater were also common hazards, and these were the dangers not many wished to dip their toes in.

☀ ☀ ☀

Rubbing her hands together, Lea allowed the lyrium in her hands to pulse. Blue veins started to glow, and warmth bloomed through her entire being. When she was warm enough, she focused, and willed her power into its dormant state. Mont-de-Glace was only a few hours away now. Then they had to go through the meandering mines of the Gamordan Peaks before passing through the Western Approach to reach Orlais. Hopefully, word had spread by then and there would be people looking for them. Their people.

A shriek that tore through the sky struck fear in her senses, and Lea quickly pulled the thick blanket over herself. After a full minute of hearing nothing but the creaking of their ship, she carefully peeked out from the crow’s nest and immediately, five winged creatures flew above the mainmast, past their ship towards the shoreline. It was only a glimpse, but Lea caught sight of them—a lithe, humanoid form with long tails that glimmered like scales from the waist down, and a wingspan of three metres that spread more like webbed fins rather than a bird’s. They were beautiful, the wings. Dark against the sky, with splotches of teal like deep mushrooms of the sea. _S_ _iren_ _s_ _._ Lea felt their ship rocking from the sudden gush of wind and saw that some of the crew had already taken cover with tarps pulled over themselves. Her parents were on either side of the main deck, and Hawke had a shortbow by her side, just in case. 

With her spyglass, Lea watched as the flock of sirens circled over a group of dark figures on the shore. Their shrieks grew more feral until finally, one swooped down at breakneck speed, only to impact with a faint cloud of purple energy. In the same second, there was a sound of a loud blaring horn and instantly, the sirens were falling like broken kites. Concentrating and adjusting the spyglass, she shifted her focus to the figures on the shore.

Then, one of them turned in her direction, and smirked.

‘Lea? What’s wrong, darling?’ Her mother yelled from below, but it was too late. Before Hawke could even stand, a portion of the floor in front of her began to rot away in a perfect circle. From it, spewedblack essence like lava bubbling from a crater. Shadows lashed out from the hole in elongated, disfigured hands, grabbing onto the floorboards as it dragged its entity of the depts of darkness. As Hawke reached for her daggers, one of the hands struck out, easily restraining her. Hawke felt something sinister pull at her life essence so rapidly that her eyes rolled back. Black tendrils leeched under her skin, poisoning her with its vile nature before draining the more than just blood from her very veins.

By this time, a shadowy fog started to billow out from the abyssal void, spilling onto the main deck and threatening to seize some of the crewmen by the ankles. Afraid, one of them threw himself overboard, while another started climbing the shrouds to get to the crow’s nest. Three mages shot out from void, staves at the ready. Then finally, their leader aparated in the middle of the ship, and the rot in the floorboard finally ceased, leaving behind a gaping hole on deck.

The woman was decked in mage armour in the eccentric and unmistakable colours of the Tevinter Imperium. Her dark robes went well past her feet, her onyx-black gloves past her elbows with fanciful bracers that both protected and decorated her arms, and her pauldrons strangely akin to that of Fenris’. Delicate gold chains cascaded from them as well, and attached were pieces of purple gems that glowed. Around her neck was an amulet with a red stone, and on her forehead, she fashioned a simple gold circlet that met just between her eyes in the shape of a crescent moon.

The mage snapped her fingers and a spellbook appeared by her side, levitating in mid-air as it flipped its pages dutifully in astonishing speed. Hawke cried out from the pain and Fenris made a move, only to be stopped by one of the shadowy wisps that now shrouded the main deck. The woman shot him a look of recognition before grinning, and Lea saw her father frozen in place before dropping to one knee as though gravity was acting against him.

Upon locating the right spell the pages ceased, and a glyph started to form from under her. It shot out in violet geometric lines around her before suddenly diminishing completely. The death-hand released Hawke from its grasp, retracting back to its mistress in pain like a wounded animal as Lea sunk her shortsword into the mage from above, clean through the shoulder.

Black smoke spilled out in place of blood as she hissed and Lea pushed off of her, tumbling as far as she could from the mage. Furious, the woman’s hands shot out and instantly, five globules of fire were pulled from nothing, hovering above her in a wide arc. Lea’s eyes widened. She’d seen a fireball spell a dozen times in all kinds of forms—even cast some herself—but she’d never seen one like this. It felt… _wrong_. When casting spells, she pulled magic from the Fade, plucking the threads like a harp. She would hear it reverberating—feel the thrum of power on her very fingertips. Just like any other mage, it was magic that came willingly. But this was different. The globules expanded in size, crackling erratically like it was in pain.

Like it was screaming.

This was magic that was forcefully pulled from… Maker knows _where_. This was more than forbidden magic—darker than blood magic.

Instinct took over, and Lea brought her hand into a fist, muttering an incantation under her breath like she was taught. Behind her, she could hear the sickening sound of the crew meeting their ends but Lea didn’t bat an eyelid. She needed to distract the threat to buy her parents some time. Finishing the spell and feeling the energy in her palm, Lea released it in a sparkling burst of radiant green energy, diminishing the flittering globules entirely. The woman’s head whipped to the young mage—seemingly impressed at the girl’s attempt—and as her eyes flicked to pure black, the dark shroud swirled before it pulsed in waves across the deck. Her hood fell back, revealing ink-black hair that now floated around her like tendrils of a corrupted garden. Another rush of dark energy rolled through, and while Lea deflected its effects with her shield, the impact  this time was so great that the young Hawke was swept off her feet. Free from the spell, Fenris reached out to grab her but Lea by an inch, and his daughter flew overboard.

☀ ☀ ☀

There was fear stuck in his throat, but the lack of a _splash_ meant that Lea would be alright. Fenris knew it. He had faith in his daughter’s skills, so he was at his wife’s side in a flash, already pouring a healing potion into her mouth. Hawke’s eyes flew open at the sudden rush of life and for a moment, she was relieved to see her husband before her. That was, until she realised that she had almost been killed by a crazy magister.

‘Go,’ Hawke rasped, still reeling and swatting him away. ‘I just… need a minute.’

Fenris held her cheek, thankful that she was far from death’s door. ‘Then a minute is all I need,’ he whispered to her and was behind the mage the second he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. _The Blade of Mercy_ was different than any other sword he’d used. It attuned itself _to_ him instead of the other way around, and Fenris’ abilities fuelled it with even more power than its original enchantment. Hawke always believed that it was made for him and like every other time, he believed her.

Each time the blade came in contact with Fenris’ abilities, it glowed blue and looked like it was an extension of his arm. Without a second to spare, Fenris swung out, but was stopped by a shadowy wisp that extended from the mage’s armour. It hummed slightly from the strange impact, as if voicing its disapproval of the entity that was restraining it. To the side, spellbook shifted its form into a simple golden staff, curved at the top like a sickle and as the woman spun around, it was summoned into her hands. Pain tore through Fenris when the curved end sunk into the side of his breastplate with surprising ease, and he was pulled close to her as if he weighed nothing.

His forest-green eyes were met with deep violet as she  greeted him. ‘Hello, Fenris. It’s so nice to finally meet my Father’s… _pet_. I  trust you know why I’m here?’ she  asked calmly, and relished in watching a storm of emotions wash over him. Colour drained from his face at that, but it was what she said next that made him feel utterly powerless.

‘I am Magister Talona, of House Danarius, and you may call me _Mistress_ ,’ she introduced herself, head cocked sweetly to one side before her hand glowed a familiar blue, and allowed her fingers to slowly dip into his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wondering, yes, you will be seeing a mix of the Dragon Age universe, as well as the Witcher universe in Heartverse. At some point I might even throw in a mention of Karnaca, and Dunwall from Dishonored because I like to believe that these worlds exist in the same universe.


	3. The Songbird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark magic, a sinking ship, and the daughter of Danarius himself. Will the Hawkes escape with their lives, or will one of the three bring them to their end?

* * *

☀ ☀ ☀

It didn’t matter how much time had passed since Lea first saw the veins under her skin glow. It was always a strange feeling. A little discomforting, too. She was seven then, and even with enough practice and guidance from Fenris, the young Hawke was still frustratingly knocked off her feet when she tried to activate her lyrium. She would never be able to move as swiftly (or accurately) as her father. Just like her magic, the lyrium—though organically present—proved extremely difficult to control.  


When Lea was ten, she trained with her father one afternoon. Long, browning grass brushed against her form, moving as one with the salty breeze that came from the sea. High above her, the sun pressed gently against the clear blue skies of Antiva. Breaking the quiet whispers of nature was an uneven rustle that came behind the girl. She spun quickly, priming her lyrium and drawing her wooden sword to face her attacker. Fenris came into view in a blurry, blue streak, so quick that before Lea could strike him, he vanished.

It was a rouse. A tease. Something her mother infuriatingly loved to do to motivate their warrior in training. She was a quick learner—picking up swordplay at age six and already able to disarm one of Isabela’s daggers (even if it was just sheer dumb luck). _Just like Carver,_ her mother said with glee and a twinkle in her eye. But she was also told that it wasn’t the only thing she had in common with her late uncle.  The scowl they shared was uncanny,and her temperament matched his perfectly, too.

So (as much as she was annoyed at herself), Lea lowered her sword s l ightly, and inhaled deeply. She could almost hear her uncle Varric’s soothing voice counting her down from five as she exhaled, pretending that there were phantom hands over her eyes. Emptying her thoughts, Lea could hear everything. The wind picked up again, rusting the grass and throwing the waves against the rocks to her right where the cliff of the bay was. In front of her, a critter darted off through the grass, and behind her, a bird cooed as it fluttered off, seemingly frightened by something. Under her  bare  feet, Lea caught the rumble in that very spot and could sense the air around it hum. _An irregularity._ Her eyes shot open and the girl disappeared just as Fenris did before, appearing about twenty feet from where he’d struck the ground.

 _Too far,_ she reprimanded herself as her father turned to her direction. His hair swayed in the breeze, then he was gone again in a mere step and Lea brought up her practice weapon just in time. A crack formed in  it as she tried to push against her father’s weight, causing the lyrium to climb her arms like vines  on an overgrown column. Fenris grinned—an indication that he was proud of her swift reactions but it irked her even more and Lea tightened the grip on her hilt. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her face as she continued to  channel the aura of lyrium to her legs. As if all the natural energies were absorbed between the two, the winds died down. The grass had ceased their gentle dance, and even the warm rays against her skin had shied away. Lea’s eyes flared open, and she released her lyrium in another _Wraith Step._

This time, she aimed it just right. The young Hawke found herself in mid-air behind the seasoned warrior. Manoeuvring quickly, Lea shifted her weight, allowing her to swing her weapon in a wide arc as she attempted to hit Fenris from above. But in truth, his instincts were as sharp as Hawke’s blades. Lea saw him drop his sword and knew that Fenris was making a grab at her feet. So, Lea pushed her wraith step to the limit. And while she got out from her father’s reach,  it sent her past the tall grass and into the fleeting grasp of the sea breeze over the cliff.

Down to the rocky waters below.

☀ ☀ ☀

It was a strange sensation—falling with the ocean underneath her. It was water after all, right? At the very least, the barrier would protect her from the impact when she hit the surface. All she had to do was find a way back onto the ship! Or, so she thought. As Lea fell further and further away from the ship’s grasp, she felt it—the cold blanket of the Sundered Seas. _Maker’s breath, I haven’t even touched the waters yet!_ she gasped, incredulous and terrified of the frozen hell she was  about to sink into in less than a few seconds.

Instinctively, she willed her abilities to life and the lyrium in her pulsed. It traced through her whole body, igniting her skin like little harmless sparks of electricity before everything around her seemed to slow. Blue traces hung in the air, flitting about at times, and Lea focused on the path that was littered with most of the blue hues. The lyrium. _H_ _er_ lyrium. Reaching out like she’d done so many times before, she touched the closest line to her and felt the rush instantaneously. The adrenaline was an electrifying surge—her body acting as a medium as the lyrium flints propelled her forward towards the ship. 

With a loud crash, the ship shook, and Lea found herself—albeit a little sore—safe from the freezing waters in the lower deck of the ship.  
  
  
☀ ☀ ☀

Talona felt the beating flesh around her hand as she let go of the gem. The elf’s eyes widened when she pulled free from of his chest, leaving a mixture of shock and fear clear on his face. Then, as if through maternal instinct, she placed both hands over his eyes and kissed his forehead where his markings were. Fenris gasped in horror, and Talona shuddered in delight as she retreated a few steps back.  
  
Black veins bloomed from the markings, tracing downwards and into the elf’s eyes. Earthy forest green slowly misted to white and Fenris gritted his teeth. Talona watched as the man swung his sword blindly in a deadly strike, but the blade cut nothing but air. Behind him, one of her followers had conjured a hound made of shadows and it pounced on one of the crewmen, devouring his essence until he was nothing but a shrivelled husk.

Distracted, she only managed to catch the glow of her father’s pet at the last second and traced a quick sigil in the air. A barrier manifested between them just before the force of Fenris’ spirit flux unleashed itself in its wrath in a continuous wave of blue energy. The lyrium crackled, and the wood underneath him began to give way. Like glass under pressure, Talona’s barrier started to split and she quickly placed her hands on it, channelling even more magic in order to sustain the barrier. When the waves of lyrium finally diminished, it shattered into tiny pieces before disintegrating like gem dust. The blade of mercy clattered to the floorboard as Fenris fell to his knees, and a smile crept up on Talona’s lips.

Just before an arrow sunk into her shoulder.

It shouldn’t hurt, but it did. The wisps of her robes hissed as she whirled around to find Hawke with yet another arrow notched at the ready. Snapping her fingers, the sickle-like quarterstaff that was still stuck in Fenris morphed itself back into book-form, and the pages slashed free from his side back towards its Mistress. With it back in her reach, she placed her hand onto it and began to recite the infernal incantation, ready to feel the blaze of a magical fire from within her. But there was nothing. Not so much as a spark! Without warning, another arrow pierced her thigh. Numbness bloomed, and Talona felt her magic drain even more. Purple liquid dripped from the arrow, and she’d realised what the woman had done.

‘Dimeritium dipped in magebane. Stings, doesn’t it?’ Hawke called out to her smugly,  discarding the bow. Something behind her exploded, but she paid no attention—her sharp eyes focused on the husband bleeding out behind the crazed  m agister. Her fists clenched, and fury sent her dashing right for the mage. The signature curved daggers  of the Champion kissed the air, finally  unsheathed and gleaming against the cold sunlight that peeked through the grey clouds. Talona stood firm, readying her hands before her  as a darkness shrouded her eyes completely.

 _‘The audacity,’_ she spat, her voice low and merged with another. The floor beneath her started to blacken, and a plume of shadows emerged from her robes like an extension of her being. A few of the tendrils yanked the arrows free and shot them back at the archer, grazing her cheek as Hawke dived away just in time. Puncture wounds left on Talona healed instantaneously with a sizzle, and Hawke rushed forward, but was promptly hurled away by the shadows that protected its Mistress. Hawke crashed into her husband but before she could leap back into action, Fenris grabbed her by the wrist, urging her to stay.

☀ ☀ ☀

There was _madness_ across the deck of the ship. Spells ricocheted off shields and people alike, barrels and crates set ablaze, and exploding arrows rang in the air. Lea ducked as the body of the navigator was thrown over her—a young woman in her thirties with fiery red hair who now lay broken and lifeless in the corner, forgotten. To her left she saw the Captain Brimsley fighting for his life—a fishing spear poised in his hands before thrusting the tip straight into one of the mages as they tried to pry his trusty hound off of them. There was a flash of necrotic energy before both of them dropped to the floor like flies.

Hurt tore through her at the very sight of it and Lea rushed to his side, but the Captain was already gone. At his side was the strange mask he’d wear sometimes, and the Lea snatched it before it was lost forever. Brimsley was Isabela’s first mate and it wasn’t just two days ago that the greying man recounted to her about his adventures across the world with nothing but his canine friend and his favourite weapon of choice. This was supposed to be his last job before making the voyage back to the coastal island of Karnaca.

Back to his son, who was probably no older than her.

Even in-between tears, Lea saw the glint of her shortsword that lay discarded on the ground. Nimble on her feet, she dashed for it—deflecting spells with barriers and shields that exploded into bits as they took  his from on-coming spells. Relieved to finally have her sword- hilt in her grip again, Lea pulled a round object free from her belt and threw it into the air towards where the main battle took place.

‘Please let this work, please let this work, _please let this work!’_ she chanted in a mantra,  then snapped her fingers. Where she was supposed to feel the threads of the Fade, there was nothing. Frantic, she tried again, and again, and again (this time with both hands), but the lack of magic was apparent and frustrating.   
  
‘Andraste’s flaming knickers!’ she hissed , tossing her hands in the air.  ‘The **_one time_** I want my magic to wreak havoc and I can’t—’

The sound of a thousand birds screeched through the air before the bomb ignited in a blinding flash. Magical fire fuelled even further with one of Sera’s fire bombs consumed _everything_ above them. Plumes of dark smoke billowed up to the sky so thick that it even blocked out the sun. Sails broke away from its masts and crashed onto the main deck, spreading the fire even more. Perhaps concentrating too much magical fire onto a bomb _wasn’t_ the best idea after all. ‘Oh,’ she merely said, looking at her handiwork in all its chaotic glory.  
  
The ship shook as a flaming mast came straight through the main deck. Lea held onto the railing for support, and in the midst of chaos, the young Hawke spotted her panicked mother trying to fend off a shadow-hound while supporting her father upright. Fenris’ side was soaked in blood and he stared out with a disconnected expression on his face. The mage responsible for _all of this_ wasn’t far from them, encased in a spherical barrier that gleamed like ice. 

A bolt of lightning crackled to her side, hitting a fleeing crewman before he could fling himself off the ship. Now, he was just a pile of ash. _Fenris? What did she do to you? Fenris!_ Her mother’s voice tore through the roaring flames.  
  
‘Mother!’ Lea yelled, plucking a wooden shield from a dead man as she made a dash towards her parents. As Lea leapt, ducked, and avoided spells and broken debris, she realised that the flames were devouring the ship. It tracked the lines above her similar to a predator on prey—like a merciless dragon before coming down just before her in a impenetrable wall of flame, separating Lea from the view of her parents. Fiery red ignited to hues of blue and green before her very eyes, so hot that Lea could smell the singe of burnt hair and charred skin. But regardless of the heat, the magister walked through it as if parting through a harmless waterfall. The fleeting black wisps of her robe seemed to hold the flames apart for her, making certain that it didn’t even so much as lick a hair on her head.

Deep violet eyes found hers and Lea froze. There was something about her gaze that threatened to lock her in place. Something about the magic that exuded from her that… frightened her. Gracefully, the magister walked up to Lea, pushing her long hair back .  Against the background of pandemonium, she looked disturbingly ethereal.  ‘Ah, there she is ,’ she grinned, and the spellbook next to her stretched and mutated back into the golden quarterstaff with its sickle end. ‘ My little songbird, ’ she cooed , voice like velvet .   
  
_My?_ Lea’s nose twitched. The younger mage readied her stance, sword and shield poised at the ready. While  the latter was made of wood and would be practically useless against powerful spells,  Lea was ready to throw it at the damned bitch if needed. ‘Listen, I don’t know who you are, but get one thing straight,’ she started, voice laced with threat akin to  poison. Just like her mother’s. At once, the lyrium in her traced through her body again and she moved ever so slightly so that her toes tapped the floorboards one after the other.

Like one of the many dancers she’d seen in Market Square perform back home during the summer festival.  
  
 _Tap tap_ went Lea’s toes and in the next moment, she was whirling towards the Magister, twisting her body so effortlessly that her sharp blade cut through air. **_‘I,’_** Lea’s sword hummed as it hit Talona’s bracers first. On impact, they glowed and using the momentum still, the girl pushed herself back, already planning for the next attack. She was quick. Always, quick. That’s what both her mother and Vaea had always told her, and it was what she never failed to use to her advantage. Lea landed, then shifted quickly to get on her toes again.  
  
 _Tap tap_ they went, and the Hawke child could feel the excess lyrium gathered in her being dispersed in a harmless arch that only she could see. Free and light again, Lea pushed another wraith step with her blade already poised. **_‘D_** ** _O NOT BELONG_** ** _,’_** this time she appeared behind the mage, immediately thrusting her weapon aimed perfectly for the woman’s heart. Disappointment shattered Lea’s patience when steel sang against the gleam of Talona’s mage armour instead of piercing through flesh. Lea grit her teeth, tears stinging her eyes and she didn’t bother waiting for her feet to touch the ground before vanishing in another wraith step, leaving nothing but a phantom of lyrium-blue in her place.  
  
It was risky—not dispersing her lyrium. But anger bubbled on the surface of that fear and Lea appeared before the magister, unfortunately on her knees. A misstep on her part, but Lea recovered quickly by bringing her blade up in time so that the point of her sword rested just under Talona’s chin. **_‘T_** ** _O ANYONE_** ** _,’_** Lea seethed, heart pounding in her chest against her anger. Her whole body protested—screaming from overuse, but Lea tried her best to keep a straight face.  
  
Upon finally seeing Lea’s glowing veins up close, a grin creeped onto the magister’s lips, and she licked them greedily. ‘Not yet, at least,’ she whispered, just as a boulder impacted on deck metres away from them. The ship rocked and groaned under the weight, and another flew from the island crashing into the side of the ship, tossed by one of the ice giants. This time, it hit the main mast, causing it to crash onto one of Talona’s acolytes.  
  
‘LEA!’ Hawke yelled for her daughter, but Lea could only make out silhouettes through the flames. Just then, black tendrils of Talona’s robe lashed out to bind her, some already pulling her sword taut. Reacting quickly, Lea threw the shield out and the wisps latched onto it. Black energy poured into the shield, making it rot before her very eyes from end to end and Lea could feel how _thirsty_ the dark magic was. An arrow sunk through Talona’s sternum and immediately, the blue flames flickered out.

Fury bloomed on the woman’s face and she knocked Lea away from her with the golden staff. It connected with Lea’s side with enough force to send her skidding away from the magister, stopping just in time at the edge. Hawke’s muffled voice grew louder and more frantic, and when Lea finally came to, she gaped the sight before her. Their ship had broken in half thanks to the handiwork of the ice giants,  and  Lea was trapped on the other side away from her parents with Talona.

It hurt. The lyrium in her _hurt_ , just as her father had warned her. How he used it so easily and ignored the pain baffled Lea to no extent. It made everything in her body ache as it pulsed and pulsed with raw energy. Because she was born with it, the lyrium was more potent and taxing to control. _Release,_ Lea reminded herself. _Panicking just makes things worse_ _!_ She’d done this once before—when she wandered from their camp and was ambushed by dire wolves. _Flux, then fly,_ Lea chanted to herself and as she let out a long breath, the lyrium built up in her system dispersed itself in a spirit flux of greater power than her father’s. In the same moment, she touched the fleeting remnants of lyrium, and propelled forward in her wraith step.

As she moved through the air, guided and powered by the tethers of lyrium that were only  visible to her , Lea could feel Talona’s black tendrils  right at her feet. They tried to latch onto her, only to sizzle and die as soon as they  so much as  touched her in her Wraith form. In half a second, Lea  dropped on the other side of the ship, tumbling across, but safe with her parents nonetheless.

‘Are you hurt, sweetheart? Hawke asked, staggering towards Lea with her husband in tow.

Lea shook her head, pulling herself up before running to hug her parents. A slew of ice shards  shot at them, but Lea conjured a barrier just in time and they disintegrated harmlessly in contact.

‘We need to  flee. Can you blast through those doors?’ Hawke  nodded to the Captain’s quarters.

Lea froze. Barriers were easy enough. But offensive spells? That was dangerous for a mage like herself. ‘I—I don’t know if my magic will—’

Fenris reached out to the girl, still leaning against his wife for support. ‘It is alright if you do not wish  t o use your magic. Can you at least wield my sword?’

‘Papa, what—’ the rest of her sentence left her. Now she understood why her mother  looked so pale. ‘Your eyes…’

Hawke urged them to move, pausing when something exploded yet again. ‘If this ship weren’t sinking, I’d have that bitch’s eyes roasting on my arrows by now!’ her mother seethed, then handed Lea the bag of holding. She stuck her hand in, and pulled out Fenris’ _Blade of Mercy._ ‘The sword _knows_ you,’ Hawke encouraged. ‘And it trusts you as much as we do,’ she said with confidence, and Fenris grinned weakly in agreement.

Biting her lower lip,  Lea nodded  and stood in front of the barricaded door.  Even before her lyrium sang, she could feel the melody that resonated within  the blade. Activating her abilities again, she watched as the sword glowed—blue lines of lyrium powering it like an extension of her own arm. It was heavy, no doubt, but she planted her feet firmly and managed to lift it above her head with both hands. Then, she brought it down swiftly with surprising ease, as if the blade itself was guiding her. Wood splintered at the touch of the  sword and its residual lyrium,  clearing the path efficiently for them. 

Rushing in, Hawke’s eyes darted around in frantic search.  ‘ _Shit._ Where is it?! Isabela mentioned something about a—’

‘—teleportation circle,’ Lea  gasped, pointing up at the ceiling.  Dorian had mentioned them a few times,  but she’d never seen one herself. It was perfectly round and spanning ten feet—carved into the very wood itself with runic symbols and ancient inscriptions of at _least_ two different languages. One of which, Lea recognised as elvhen. Her gaze  trailed from one end to the other, trying to ascertain where the circle would take them, but she couldn’t find an answer.

‘Isabela  specified that it needs to be activated with magic so that the spell would take,’ Hawke turned towards the young mage. There was a loud crash outside and the boat began to tilt sideways. Furniture in the room began to slide towards the right, crashing into the wall—a table barely missing her parents. ‘We need to get out of here sweetheart! Any spell will do!’ her mother cried out to her as she held on to Fenris who was now wincing in pain.

 _Any spell. Any spell, Lea. Okay._ ‘Okay,’ she  comforted herself quietly, then reached into her pocket and smeared her fingers with phosphorus, just like how Anders had shown her. With a simple incantation, her hands started to glow as the spell took shape, and four harmless globules of orange lights drifted from her hands. They  danced around her, then with her intent and guidance, floated towards the teleportation circle and  was absorbed instantly .  Life flared throughout the sigil, pulsing brightly in an amber hue like a heartbeat.

‘Mother, I don’t know where this will take us! We could end up in the Imperium!’ she  tugged Hawke by her free hand as her veins  glowed again. Unlike Fenris’ markings,  Lea’s patterns were erratic, and they came to life under two circumstances: at will, or under extreme stress. This was the latter.

An uneasy quiet hung before them, then her father broke the silence. ‘It is a chance we will have to take. _T_ _ogether,_ ’ he emphasised, lyrium already pulsing through him. He held out a hand to Lea—as if knowing where she stood—and Lea hesitantly led them underneath the glowing sigil.

‘Just like the lanterns in Kirkwall. Right, Papa?’ she asked out of the blue, trying to mask the tremble in her voice. Her mother squeezed her hand, and Fenris broke into a grin.

‘Up,’ she directed, and all three of the m vanished in a blue streak just before the ship  was lost forever in the Sundered Seas.

☀ ☀ ☀

Rocky earth scraped against her leather armour as she tumbled across the dry ground, sending dust into the air before coming to a halt. Her vision swirled around her as she blinked, and soon, the red hues of a setting sky finally came to view. In the distance, she could hear a ceremonial bell being rung, and the shuffle of feet. _An alleyway_ , the young girl finally pieced together when she sat up and examined her surroundings. Then, she noticed a body lying on the ground not far from her. The dirt around him darkened with blood and Lea’s heart lurched. Scrambling to her feet, Lea rushed towards her father, hands already glowing with a healing spell.

Peeling away the layers of fabric stuck to his side, Lea pressed both hands on the wound and eased her spell into it. They trembled from exhaustion, and she was starting to see the faint glow of lyrium under her gloves. _Not now,_ she begged, trying to calm her emotions. She couldn’t have her own lyrium disrupt her already chaotic magic when her father needed her most! For any other mage, a healing spell took about a minute to finish. Unfortunately for Lea, she took five times longer. Extra precaution was needed when it came to her magic and sometimes, she needed something to ground her—like a visual tether. The imagery of her mother suturing her father’s wound came to mind, only instead of a thread of silk, Lea pictured it to be made of magic plucked from the Fade itself.

Footsteps caught her off-guard midway  and Lea grabbed  a poisoned knife at her belt on instinct. Before she could throw it, Fenris  held onto her wrist.

‘Marian…’ he  rasped weakly, and true enough,  her mother emerged from the corner.

Hawke waved a hand over Fenris’ eyes, but he looked straight, unblinking  and  still clouded with a white mist. ‘What kind of spell is this? Your father isn’t even anywhere _near_ that woman now! How is it _still_ holding up?’

Fenris twisted the glowing ring on his fourth finger nervously.  ‘Do you think it permanent, Lea?’  he asked, uneasy. He’d even release d another experimental spirit flux to see if it would cancel the spell but to no avail.

The girl studied his eyes carefully and shook her head , tucking her curly hair behind her ears. ‘No. It’s a spell, and any spell can always be undone. I just have to—’ she shifted herself,  kneeling in front of her father.  First, she brushed the markings on his forehead where the veins were now bulged and black. Sometimes, she swore that it moved—like a parasite resting within. Lea could _feel_ the magic, too. Dark and… _wrong_. When she closed her eyes to focus on it, it came to her like whispers that got louder until she pulled out of her trance.

A chill shot up her spine but she shook the uneasiness away, holding his face gently. Instead of the blackened veins that hindered his vision, Lea centred her attention on the crows feet that she so lovingly adored under the tips of her fingers.  Staring into his eyes, she thought of her own. Her mother always said that theirs were similar—its colour, gentleness,  and intensity. The image burned in her thoughts, and Lea attempted to pull the colours back into the grey. Fenris frowned, and Lea could feel him wince.

Exhaling, Lea  plucked lightly at her magic. It was like a quiet sound on a lyre—blue at first, then she willed it to the green hues of her father’s eyes, pouring more of  the  spell into her father. Fenris gasped in pain at the sudden rush of magic, and the mage could feel the necrotic essence squirm under her fingertips. She pulled again and the timbre of her magic rang louder within her being, filling the image with overflowing, vibrant colours and Lea’s released the last of the spell like a puff of air.  Daughter and mother watched as misty white  reverted back to the beautiful earthy hues of green, and Fenris’ vision was restored.

The elf let out a sigh of relief, and his handsome smile returned. ‘Ah, good. I can gaze upon the most beautiful girl in Thedas once more,’ he  quipped, and Hawke  snorted at that.

‘Oh sweet Andraste, your father’s told a joke now. Do you have a spell that can cure a concussion, sweetheart?’ she rolled her eyes at him, twisting her own glowing ring that sat on her fourth finger. Then slowly, she dropped to her knees to hug them both.

‘Where are we, anyway?’ Lea asked as they followed Hawke through the alleyway. Upon seeing their rings, she reached for her chain to check for her own and realised that it too, was glowing. Relieved that the location enchantment had worked, she tucked it back into her tunic.

‘Are you still hurt, Papa? I think I have another healing spell ready if you need it,’ Lea offered and Fenris blinked in surprise. He hadn’t realised that his hand was still resting against his chest.

Fenris shook his head, his smile replacing the uneasy frown from before. ‘I will be fine. Just a little shaken from battle is all. It seems I am out of practice,’ he deflected expertly and lowered his hand.

Hawke placed her finger to her lips.  ‘Shh. Keep your hoods up, and your voices low.  Here,’ she pulled out two holy symbols of Andraste and handed it to them. ‘Hang that somewhere visible,’ she instructed, pointing to her own hanging on her belt. ‘Anders once told me how his people were religious extremists. No magic, and no wraith forms from _either_ of you,  else we’ll be  skewered on pikes to be  set ablaze now that the circles have collapsed.’

‘ _Anders?_ You mean to say that we’re in—’ Hawke pushed both her husband and daughter into another alley and covered their mouths. Marching footsteps went past where they had previously been walking, accompanied with low whispers about a civilian who saw a woman materialise out of thin air in the main plaza. Once Hawke was sure they were gone, she urged them out, leading the way as if she’d grown up here. After a few turns, the finally exited the meandering alleys, onto a sparse street. Thunder rumbled in the sky, but there was not a rain cloud in sight. Instead, the air was stiff with humidity and tension.

Hawke turned to her family, halting them in their tracks. Behind her, was a towering citadel that looked like it was carved from the very canyons of Thedas.  ‘Welcome to the Anderfels.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so terribly sorry that this is late, but with the pandemic around I've just been super stressed at work (;-;) _Featherfall_ will continue sometime into June, which means that there will be a slight delay in _The Baker of Kirkwall_. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy!


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